Finding a Job You Love

Seven Steps to a Fun and Fulfilling Job
(Unfinished: Shooting for September, 2006!)

Purpose: To help students learn the skills involved in finding fulfilling jobs.

Hints:

1. On using personality profiles and career assessment tools. Discuss this class with your school counselors and district specialists, to find what personality profiles and career assessment tools are available through your system. If students have already taken such assessments in the past, make copies of the results available to the students and take class time to help them interpret the results, perhaps inviting a specialist to help. Let them know that although such assessments are helpful, they are certainly not infallible, since they can only be as accurate as the answers we give them. Since our interests change and our talents are still emerging, it's helpful to take these evaluations at different points in our lives.

2. On prioritizing interaction. Although most people think of looking for a job as pure drudgery, we can put a positive spin on it by making the class more hands on and interactive.

3. On letting students do the research. Often, assignments involve looking in classified ads, finding articles online, and researching information from specific Web sites. This "fooling around on the Web" time is essential for building the research skills that students will need over a lifetime.

4. On incorporating your own experiences. Students like to know that you’re not just teaching from a curriculum; you’re teaching from your life. Think back to jobs where you were miscast, the struggles you went through determining a career, the struggles you still go through in finding your niche. The more you share of your own life – both struggles and successes – the more they’ll be willing to share their hopes and fears.

Does this title - Six Steps to a Fun and Fulfilling Job - seem unrealistic? Some of you have heard only sob stories about the work world. Your parents and older siblings may dread going into work on Monday mornings and long for the weekends as if they're getting out of jail.

And how many of you have heard this one? "You may think you've got it hard now, but just wait till you get a real job. Then you'll know what work really is." (Get a hand raise.) Wow, really makes you look forward to life after high school, doesn't it?

That dismal view of work sounds especially depressing to those who struggle with high school. You're thinking, "Life stinks now; but soon I'll graduate and it will get worse."

Believe it or not, many people love their work. They can't wait to get to work in the morning. They get so caught up in their work that they lose all track of time. At the end of the day, when they glance at the clock, they're startled to realize it's time to go home, and they can't imagine where the time went.

Is it really possible to find a job like that? Many people do. In fact, a 2003 study found 50.7% of the people surveyed indicating that they’re satisfied with their current jobs. (1)

In fact, if you look at the most successful people, one characteristic is that they love their work. For 20 years, professors Stanley and Danko studied people who were so successful at their businesses that they made millions. According to Stanley and Danko,

“The most successful business owners we have interviewed have one characteristic in common: They all enjoy what they do.” (2)

Discussion: How many of you have parents or siblings or friends who love their jobs? Can you tell us what they do and why you think they might love it? How many of you either have, or have had, a job that you love? Can you tell us something about the job and why you liked it so much?

During your lifetime, you'll probably spend at least ½ of your weekday, waking hours at work. That’s a lot of time to be either miserable or happy! Finding a job that you love should be one of the great priorities of your life. Thus, this class could be one of the most important that you take during your school years.

This course is all about how to find that job you can love. By way of preview, here are the seven steps we'll cover:

Step #1: Know Yourself - The perfect job is a perfect match between your personality/interest/talents and a place you can comfortably express them.

Step #2: Sharpen Your Skills - If you want to fly airplanes, get a pilot's license.

Step #3: Know the Job Market - Most people have no clue as to how many types of jobs exist.

Step #6 - Prepare for the Interviews - Which most people try to wing, and fail.

Step #7 - Work on Traits that Make for Success - A successful job is way more than about skills. What we can learn from successful people.

One more thing by way of introduction: In each class, I want you to be thinking with me, interacting all the way. I want to get to know you - your interests, your talents, your passions. Additionally, I want your classmates to get to know you better, thus letting them help you in finding that perfect job.

The last thing I want is for this to be a one way, boring, lecture - transferring a set of notes from the teacher to the student, without going through the minds of either.

Think about how what we're learning can help you specifically with your career path. Ask questions. Object if you disagree. Let's make it fun, just like we hope your future job will be!

Assignment: An initial step toward getting a job you love is to discover what kinds of jobs are available. Get on a computer and go to www.monster.com , which is probably the largest resource of jobs online. Look through all the types of jobs available and write down at least 3 types of jobs that interest you, and 3 that you have no interest in. If you can’t find your perfect job, try to make it up. Be prepared to discuss tomorrow what the jobs are and why they either appeal or don’t appeal to you. (Those who don’t have web access could browse through jobs in local newspapers.)

1) Dan Miller, 48 Days to the Work You Love (Nashville, 2005, Broadman & Holman Publishers), p. 1.
2) Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy (Pocket Books, A division of Simon and Schuster, NY, 1996), p. 240.

Step 1 - Know Yourself

”Looking inward is 85 percent of the process of finding proper direction; 15 percent is the application to career choices.” (Dan Miller, Career Coach and Author) (1)

Popular Misconception: There are very few cool and exciting jobs. Since not everyone can work at those jobs, most of us have to work at boring jobs.

A recent study blew this popular misconception totally out of the water. For 30 years, the Gallup organization has been studying how to maximize human potential – how we can become our best and find jobs that we truly love. They surveyed over 2,000,000 people, including 80,000 managers, to better understand how we can have the most rewarding and satisfying work.

Among other things, they discovered that people differ greatly in what they enjoy doing and thus what kind of work they most enjoy. In other words, we’re not all competing for a few jobs that everyone would love! The problem is not that all the good jobs are taken, but that 8 out of 10 workers feel that they’ve been miscast for their role, having to work at tasks they aren’t good at and don’t enjoy. (2)

Marcus Buckingham, Sr. Vice President of Gallup, says that to find the work you love, you’ve got to first discover your strengths, then find a job where you can use those strengths every day. (3)

That’s good news! Not everyone wants to be the president of the company or the lead guitarist for a band. We’re not hopelessly competing for a few cool jobs that everybody else wants. You may be incredibly fulfilled as a programmer, whereas another would be happier as a manager, another as a football coach, another as assistant to a company president.

It’s fascinating to learn how successful people found their vocational niche by getting to know themselves. Here are a couple of examples.

(Hint: Either read these people stories yourself, or ask for volunteers who are good readers.)

Bill Gates is the most successful entrepreneur in the world, heading up MicroSoft, the software company that produced MicroSoft Windows, MicroSoft Word, etc. He's worth billions. But he didn’t always know his niche. In elementary school, he often got into trouble with his teachers and administrators, being labeled an “erratic cutup.” He might get ''A's'' in math and reading, but ''C's'' and ''D's'' in subjects he didn’t like.

But in the 7^th grade he began to find where he fit in. He discovered a Math/Science clique that others considered ''hopelessly square.'' He discovered computers and fell in love with programming and technology, working with his friends on computer projects long after school hours. (4)

Gates didn’t look for the job that made the most money and endure the work in order to make the money. When he was growing up, most people didn't think there was much money to be made in computers and programming. Instead, he found his love and discovered a way to make a living at it.

Warren Buffett is the second wealthiest man in America, just behind Bill Gates. Buffett made his billions, not in technology, but by investing in profitable businesses. He became fascinated with business at an early age, running a paper route and paying others to find golf balls so that he could sell them at a profit. At age 11 he began charting the prices of stocks and actually bought his first stocks, selling them at a profit.

Buffett still loves studying businesses and investing. His daily work is something that would unbearably bore most people – studying the financial reports of companies to decide which ones he wants to invest in. Sounds boring, right? But he loves it. He describes his typical work-day as beginning with tap-dancing into the office. (5)

Our point? Many people would be bored to tears programming all day or pouring over business reports. Those job are not for everybody. But Gates and Buffett are successful at what they do largely because they love it and are good at it. Our point? The better you can know yourself – your interests and talents - the better you can find that niche in the job market that will make you successful.

In order to find the job that’s a fit for you, you’ve got to know yourself – your desires, your loves, your passions, your strengths, your skills. It sounds easy. Who doesn’t know himself?

Apparently, most people don’t know themselves very well. No wonder they end up working at jobs that aren’t a fit for them. According to management guru Peter Drucker:

“Most Americans do not know what their strengths are. When you ask them, they look at you with a blank stare….” (Peter Drucker, leading authority on management and author of 35 books)

During this session we’ll try to help each of you look more closely at yourself to discover the strengths and interests that could lead you to a fascinating job.

Discussion: Imagine that a friend comes to you and says, “I’ve got to get a job and have no idea what kind of job to look for. What should I do?” What are some questions you’d ask, and some suggestions for helping him determine what he’d like best? (Write down their best ideas on the board and incorporate them into this next exercise.)

(Answer these questions while reflecting upon your life at home, at school, in extra-curricular activities, or at work. For each question, let some students first share out loud, to get everyone’s creative juices going, then let each student write about himself or herself.)

1. Write down the things you enjoy. For example, “I’m most energized when I’m with people.” “I like to be in charge.” “I love learning new things.” “I like organizing things.”

2. Dig deeper to ask yourself why you enjoy those things. Look for patterns, like, “Most of these things involve working with people.” Or, "most of these things involve using my creativity." Write them down.

3. Write down the things you hate. For example, “I hate working by myself (or, with people.” “I hate it when I have to talk to strangers.” “I can’t remember names.” “I’m hopelessly disorganized.”)

As you learn to reflect upon your experiences, you’ll keep getting to know yourself better. Here are some ways to keep learning…

· Work or volunteer at many types of jobs. Some go to college for years, studying to be a lawyer, only to get a their first job and find out they hate being a lawyer. Working as a secretary or helper at a lawyer’s office during school could have let them know early that they didn’t match with that atmosphere.

· Ask family and friends about your strengths and their ideas as to what vocation you should pursue. Others often see aspects of ourselves that we can’t see.

· Take inventories or evaluations that help you narrow down your strengths.

On Finding Your Strengths and Interests
And Matching Them With a Career

Talk to your school counselor to find what your school or district offers. They've often already paid for the use of an inventory. If students have already taken such inventories, copies may be available on file. This class would be an excellent opportunity for a school counselor to explain to your students how to get the most out of the evaluation.

If they have not taken an inventory lately, consider taking one in this class. Caution: These tests reflect only how students perceive themselves now. Let them know that their interests will probably change over time, as exposure to new life circumstances may reveal new strengths. Also, these tests aren't perfect. They often provide more direction and ideas than the definitive job.

If you choose to take an inventory, use at least one, entire class period to help students think through the possible implications to their careers. All too often students take evaluations like this and are then left to decipher the data on their own. Rather, devote some quality class time to let them think through the implications to their lives. Let them discuss, perhaps starting in small groups,

what parts of the results they consider accurate and inaccurate
what recommended careers they like or dislike
what some of the vocations might look like (Students may have no idea what a "comptroller" or even a "manager" or "entrepreneur" does at work all day.)

Suggested* free, online inventory

Explore the Possibilities - Three free inventories: 1 - career interests game, 2 - career quiz, 3 - skills search (matching skills with vocations). http://www.career.missouri.edu/students/explore/onlineassessments.php

*Recommended by Richard N. Bolles, job-hunting guru.

In 2003’s Super Bowl, Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden led his Buccaneers to a masterfully orchestrated win over his former team, the Raiders. Since the year before he was coaching the Raiders, having built them into Super Bowl material, some people called this match-up "The Gruden Bowl." What an incredibly successful guy!

Was he always so successful? No way! Especially in high school, he had to find his niche.

Ever feel like you aren't good at anything that really counts? Gruden knows the feeling all too well. In high school, his older brother James excelled at academics - maintaining a 4.0 average. Jon felt pretty dumb in comparison with his 2.0 average. According to Jon, ''people thought something was wrong with me.'' When he and his brother got into shouting matches, after Jon might call James a geek, James might come back telling Jon that he was just smart enough to one day be his chauffeur. Just what Jon needed to hear.

Not being adept at making good grades, Jon's passion was sports. But here his self-esteem hit another wall. It wasn't bad enough that his older brother apparently had the brains. His younger brother Jay got the athletic talent. In college, Jon was determined to be a great quarterback, lifting weights in the off-season, throwing endless passes, consistently running and lifting weights. While in his best condition ever, after running five miles, he'd taunt his less disciplined younger brother, now a Junior in high school, who spent his hot summer days watching TV and munching microwave popcorn. Finally, when Jay had had enough taunting, he challenged Jon to 2-mile race. In the last 2/10 of a mile, Jay took off, leaving a humiliated Jon behind. That's when he finally faced the facts: he was a loser at athletics.

His dismal college career confirmed his fears. Except for three attempted passes and holding the ball for place-kicks, he was a perennial benchwarmer, watching the game from the sidelines.

But Jon wasn't destined to be a star player. He just hadn't yet found his niche. He thought he was dumb, but was actually brilliant – a brilliant strategist and leader. Today he's in his niche, and life couldn't be grander. He makes his living coaching from the sidelines. In fact, John will receive a cool $17.5 million dollars over the next 5 years to strategize and motivate from the sidelines.

This former bench warmer is the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl ever, the hero of Tampa Bay.

Discussion: What can we learn from Jon's experience in finding his niche? (Endurance, keeping bouncing back and reflecting on what you're good at. What if Jon had become disillusioned because he was seldom allowed to play more ''significant'' positions in college? What if he simply concluded, like many do, that he was destined to be a failure, when he was actually gaining valuable experience for the future?) (6)

Some of you feel very successful in school and some of you don’t. Some people have strengths that suit them perfectly for school. But not everyone’s like that. Don't ever believe the lie that life as you see it now is all there is. Don't wallow in your pain or become discouraged because of your defeats. Keep looking for your niche, a way that your particular giftedness can be used to the max. Jon did. You can too.

Can you see how we’re working toward finding a job we love? If we don’t know where we’re going, we’re not likely to get there. The more you learn about yourself, by exposing yourself to different jobs and evaluating your experiences, the better you’ll be able to define what you’re looking for, and the more likely you are to find it.

I encourage you to keep up with these reflections on who you are and add to them as you continue with life. Odds are, your first job won’t be ideal, but you’ll learn something valuable about yourself, what you like and don’t like about a job. Use this information when looking for your next job, so that you’ll be one step closer to that job you love.

1 – Schedule an appointment with your school counselor to take an inventory that might help identify:

2 – Talk to your parents and/or friends, asking them what they think your strengths and weaknesses are, and in what kind of job you’d excel.

Look over your list of jobs you’d love, jobs you’d hate. Reflecting on why you listed them, write down the characteristics of a job you’d love. For example:

4 - Look over the list of jobs you were interested in. Now compare them to your interests and skills. Does this make you want to revise or narrow down what you’d like to do for a job? Now, look again at the Help Wanted section of www.monster.com . See what they’re requiring for a job. Write down what kinds of education or experiences you need to get in order to qualify for that dream job.

1) Dan Miller, 48 Days to the Work You Love (Nashville, 2005, Broadman & Holman Publishers), p. 4.
2) Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, First, Break All the Rules: What The World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently (Simon & Schuster, 1999).
3) Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Now, Discover Your Strengths, (New York, The Free Press, 2001).
4) (Written by Steve Miller, Copyright Feb., 2003. Source: Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews, Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented An Industry - And Made Himself The Richest Man in America, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1994, pp. 16,18,19, 24)
5) Simon Reynolds, ed. Thoughts of Chairman Buffett, Harper Business, New York, NY: 1998; Roger Lowenstein, Buffett: The Making of An American Capitalist, New York: Main Street Books, 1995.
6) (Written by Steve Miller, Copyright January 30, 2003. Sources: A Wise Investment, 01-23-2003, The Tampa Tribune, by Ira Kaufman; Coach Chucky The Buccaneers' Jon Gruden has all the qualities of the perfect NFL coach: He's tireless, hypercritical and, occasionally, scary as hell, 09-09-2002, Sports Illustrated, S.L. Price)

Step 2 - Sharpen Your Skills

In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves
beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. (Al Rogers, Global Schoolhouse Network)

Preparation: Decide what jobs you wish to use as examples in the boxed “Class Activity”. Preferably, you should use jobs in which your students have expressed interest. Look up some of these jobs on www.monster.com , and print up some job descriptions that give a good bit of information of what the employers are looking for.

This unit is all about helping you to find a job you love. I hope you’re sensing the importance of it. If you spend at least half of your waking hours, Monday through Friday, at your job, then one of the most important things you can discover is how to fill those hours doing stuff you truly enjoy.

Discussion: Last week, we discussed step one in finding a job you love. Who can tell me what it was? (Know Yourself) When considering a career, what aspects of ourselves do we need to understand? (Examples: our passions, interests, what we hate, what we love; our strengths; our skills; our personalities.) What are some ways we can get to know ourselves? (Examples: Take inventories; ask friends; reflect on our experiences at home, school, at work and play.)

People Story: Remember, getting to know ourselves is a lifelong process. Don’t imagine that you know yourself very well yet. You’ve not had enough life experiences. George Lucas, the incredibly successful movie producer who gave us Star Wars, could only dream of racing cars when he was in high school. It was only after a near fatal wreck that he decided to concentrate on filming the races rather than driving in them. (Facts from Skywalking: The Life And Times Of George Lucas, by Dale Pollock, Harmony Books, 1983, pp. xiii-39. Wording by Steve Miller © Copyright 2002 - All Rights Reserved.)

Popular Misconception: (Put this statement up on the board.) Businesses will hire me solely because of my academic achievements.

Actually, academic achievements are only one of many factors that employees consider.

Introduction: During this session, we’ll try to discover how each of us can best prepare for that dream job. In order to do this, we’ll think backward. Instead of thinking forward about what degree we think we should get to land that dream job, we’ll start with the dream job to find out what kinds of people the employers are looking for. Once we know what they want, we can work backward to plan how we can become that person they’re looking for. Make sense?

We’ll start off with an activity to help us to think more like the business owner who we want to hire us.

We’ve tried to think like our future employer and have seen what employers like her are looking for. All we have to do now is to set specific goals that will help us become that person that she wants to hire. Here’s an example job description (Again, you may wish to use a job description for a job that one of your students has expressed interest in).

Help Wanted: Web Designer

Company: Web Design Dream Jobs
Salary: $60,000

· 2-4 years of web design experience (HTML, DHTML, CSS, Javascript)
· Position requires a designer with both artistic and technical skills
· Ability to handle multiple projects with good time management
-Must be able to update and maintain existing sites designed by agency.
· Must show initiative, be reliable and able to manage multiple projects
simultaneously.
· Must pay close attention to detail & possess excellent verbal & written
communication skills
· Broad understanding of web and browser-compatibility issues.
· High skill level in conceptual layout and color schemes
· Must be able to take project from concept to completion.
· Working knowledge of Macintosh & Windows system software.
· Experienced in Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and Freehand. Flash and ASP are a plus but not required.
· Applicants should be prepared to show previous work samples
electronically.

Our company will only consider local candidates.

Benefits include medical, paid vacation, flex time, and all the jelly beans (any brand) you can eat.

Discussion: In small groups, look over this job description and write out a two-year plan for preparing yourself for a future job like this. (Afterward, let them share their plans and add to their plans any suggestions you might have, such as below.)

My Goals to Get This Dream Job

1. Take classes at our local technical school in HTML, DHTML, CSS, Javascript, and written communications. Take level 2 Photoshop and a class in Freehand.
2. Start getting quotes from teachers and my bosses saying that I take initiative, can be relied upon, show up on time, work hard, and communicate well.
3. Start building a portfolio of sites I’ve built with Dreamweaver, images I’ve created or manipulated with PhotoShop.
4. Get experience by building or maintaining sites for people I know. If I have to do them cheaply or free, one way or another I need to get that two years of experience.
5. Get some community volunteering underway to let them know I’m a good person.
6. Find some of the top graphics and Web companies in my area and try to get an internship or part-time work with them.
7. Find other students interested in Web design, so that we can hang out regularly, networking and sharing ideas.
8. Research which brands of jelly beans are the best.

Individual Class Assignment. With your dream job in mind, write down your goals toward getting the job that you want. (Have several students share these goals with the class, and have other students offer their ideas as well. Secondary Object: We're trying to get the students comfortable working together, just as they will need to learn to network to get the best jobs in the future.)

Here are some tips from career coaches on preparing yourself for a career. Add some of these to your written goals.

When 15-year-old Arnold Schwartzenegger took up bodybuilding, he began to hang around the local serious bodybuilders, although they were twice his age. He learned from them, looked up to them, and by hanging around those who were wise in bodybuilding, he became wise in bodybuilding, eventually winning the Mr. Universe contest year after year.

He hung around others excited about his field. He learned from them. He found mentors. He set goals. If you do the same, you can prepare for and discover a job doing what you love.

1 - Talk to your parents or teachers or other adults about their varied job experiences, and what they learned about themselves and about vocations from each job. Ask for their advice on preparing for a job.

2 - Surf to www.monster.com . Click on "Career Advice." Go to either "Targeted Advice" (articles) or "Monster Blog" and read up on some articles that interest you. Copy off any advice that might be useful to the rest of the class. Highlight the interesting portion, click "print" and choose "print selection," so that you print only your highlighted portion. (This exercise familiarizes them with online research in general and a great career site specifically. "Give them a fish and they eat for a day; teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime.") (Try Google hack for searching a specific site?: inurl)

Step 3 - Know The Job Market
What Kinds of Jobs are Out There?

”The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure…. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.”

Purpose: To help students see how vast the job market really is, and how their unique blend of strengths might fit into many different jobs.

1 - copies of local papers, papers from the closest large city and web addresses to find local postings.
2 - enough paper to cover a large portion of a wall for the mural project, plus multi-colored markers.
3 - the children's book, "Put Me in the Zoo."
4 - the movie, Return of the Jedi, set to run on the ending credits. (I like the credits for this movie, since they are so varied, involve shooting at several locations, involving everything from travel agents to caterers to graphic artists.)

Review by Brainstorm: Imagine that your best friend comes up to you and says, "I'm clueless about how to prepare for a job. Tell me what to do." What are some things you'd tell him or her? (Let them share as many specifics as they can come up with, summarizing on the board. Add any main points that they miss.)

How long has it been since your parents read a picture book to you? (Get a response.) That's a shame. Some of those children's books are sooo cool! Sometimes we need to go back to them when we're older to get the deeper meaning. How many read this book as a child? (Hold up "Put Me in the Zoo.") This morning, I'm going to read this to you. If you listen well, I just might pass out juice and crackers later, and let you take a nap! By the way, this book has everything to do with finding a job you love.

Popular Misconception (write it on the board): I pretty much know the kinds of jobs available for a person like me.

Transition: Getting to know ourselves is actually a lifelong process. When we were small, we envisioned very few kinds of jobs. Remember when your elementary school teacher asked your class what they wanted to do when they grew up? What were some of the responses? (Let them respond. For example - fireman, policeman.) Now that we're more mature, we need to get a grasp of just how vast the job market actually is. Otherwise, we risk shooting for the zoo, not realizing there's something much better out there for us.

Fact: When professor Thomas J. Stanley studied millionaires, he found that most of them were not the high profile actors and athletes that we're used to seeing. Rather, he found them working in many, many different fields. There were teachers, insurance agents, builders, carpenters, a seller of junk truck parts, etc. But whatever their career, he found that these successful millionaires loved their work. The implication: if we can find something we love to do, we're more likely to be successful at it. (1)

That's what we're up to today: thinking through what careers might allow us to do what we love.

Mural Activity: Cover the wall in paper. Do a major mural on the wall, divided, not according to types of industries, but according to strengths and interests (See Table Below). Have artsy students draw a picture to symbolize each heading, as the rest of the students brainstorm jobs people could have that fit under each category. The end result: A visual depiction of the many types of jobs available that allow us to do things that we love.

Movie Clip: So, do you think we're getting anywhere near all the types of jobs out there, even for just one of these categories? Think again. Let's take just one of these areas of interest, "I Love Movies" and blow our minds with it. How many of you have seen the movie from the first Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi? Who made the movie? (Get their responses. Some will say, "George Lucas." But probe deeper. "Did he do it by himself?" Who else was involved." Some will respond, "actors," or "musicians."

Let's expand our minds a little here. (Put in the movie, set to the credits. Allow it to keep running for 10 minutes or so, even while you're discussing other things. The visual impact can be quite astounding, seeing the hundreds of talents involved with making just one film.) Point out, along with your class, the skills and talents and vocations that seem the most unusual or most interesting or surprising.

The point? Don't be overwhelmed by this. The point is, if you don't enjoy your first few jobs, don't worry! There are lots of jobs out there! Learn more about yourself from each job you take, so that you can keep narrowing down to a job you truly love.

Let's look at some interesting people, following them on their route to finding their dream jobs. As I tell their stories, imagine that their story is yours, and try to decide what career they should pursue. This exercise can help you see how to make connections between your personal interests and what kinds of jobs they might translate into.

Delilah Story: Loved talking. What other jobs could a good talker get? Announcer, receptionist, salesman, etc.

Could give stories of people like Jack Welch. Tell about how he's a competitor. What do you think he went into? But was small. Went into business, became president of GE. Getting to the top of an established business, or starting a new business, is very competitive.

The people we just talked about love their jobs and have found great success. Studies on happiness have found that people are happier when they've found something to do that's so absorbing that they lose all track of time when they do it. My challenge to you is to keep getting to know yourself by expanding your circle of friends and your experiences. Over time, you'll begin to see what you hate, what you like and what you truly love. Then, you can look for jobs that will allow you to do what you love every day.

During our next session, we take what we've learned to begin our actual job search.

The best job searchers don't just look for businesses that are hiring. Instead, they start by finding businesses in their area that interest them, whether they are hiring or not. Your homework is to look through your local Yellow Pages, picking out some businesses that interest you.

1 - Thomas S. Stanley, Ph.D., The Millionaire Mind (Andrews McMeel Publishing, August 2, 2001).

Popular Misconception: If I'm the most qualified person, jobs will pretty much come to me.

Happiness might not be so much the nature of the work itself, or even the reputation of the company, but especially the personality of your immediate manager. (First, Break all the Rules)

1. Classifieds

Assignment: Go to the Resume Center on www.monster.com . Under “Targeted Resume Tips,” click “More Articles Like This” to try to look for an article on writing a resume for the type job you want. Read the article and take your first shot at writing a resume for that dream job. This is just a rough draft, which we’ll continue to work on in our next session. After you write it, take an appropriate “Resume Quiz” (again, in Monster’s Resume Center) and tweak your resume accordingly.

how it can be tweeked to highlight your gifts, interests and mesh them with what the specific company may need.

Steve loved playing trumpet, but hated teaching trumpet. Just bec/ love band doesn't mean you'd love being a band director.

Education, successful tried many jobs. Bill Gates @ C-Cubed. Buffett selling golf-balls, etc.

Spielberg getting his foot in the door, perhaps more important than film school.

Popular Misconception: All they want is to know what schools I attended and my former jobs.

Have them do a resume, then divide up into groups of three and have the other two evaluate: would you hire this person, why or why not. What could be added to the resume to make it stronger.

Hand out a couple of example resumes from the more than 50 at www.monster.com . (Click on “Career Advice” on the home page, then “Resume Center” then “More Articles” and the topic “Sample Resumes & Cover Letters”

If their school computers have a resume template in the word processing program, show them how to find and use it. (For example, free resume templates for MicroSoft Word can be found on the MicroSoft Office site at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT011389861033.aspx

(If this resume section changes pages, you can probably find it by putting in these search terms “MicroSoft Word Resume Templates”

Popular Misconception: If they like my resume, the interview will just be a formality.

Article on Monster mentions Starbucks - wants people who are passionate about their values.

Give them several job situations. Tell them a job description. Go further to research the values of the company. Have them interview with each other, one being the interviewer and the other being the interviewee.

You’re checking them out as well. Buckingham on the supreme importance of the manager.

Step 7 - Work on Traits that Make for Success

''Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you.'' (Warren Buffett, who became the 2nd wealthiest man in the USA by understanding and in investing in great companies. From Omaha World Herald, February 1, 1994)

Popular Misconception: If I've got the right education and the right job, that's all I need to be successful.

Finding happiness at a job is a lot like finding happiness in a marriage. Part of it is finding a mate who can make marriage work. The other part is becoming the person who can make a marriage work.

_% of your waking hours will be spent at a job. Yet, it's amazing how little time some people spend thinking

through what they want to do!

Work Backward, From the Dream Job

1. Find the sources of jobs in your community. (How far you're willing to drive.)

Monster.com (activity - got to monster.com and look for a job. tell when find. Ask each how did it. they learn by doing.

On the Web. Go to AJCJOBS.com and look up jobs you'd be interested in having. Now, see what qualifications they're looking for.

In Newspapers: Local newspapers, nearby big city papers.

Example: (see job summary for Andrew). Okay, so there's your job, but you're not yet qualified. How could you work backward to see what you need to have to qualify?

Example: Spielberg getting foot in the door rather than getting into best film school.

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Job Summary

Company Name:

Think Energy Group
Job Title:

WebSite Designer - Web / Developer 55-60 K /
Job Status:

Full-time Regular
Type of Company:

Employment Services
Job Function:

Computer/IT - Other
Job Division:

Not Listed
Education:

Not Listed
Years Experience Desired:

2 years
Salary:

$55000 - $60000
Location:

Marietta, GA
Contact E-Mail:

Resumes@ThinkJobs.com
Contact Information:

ThinkEnergyGroup.com Job Number 34691
Date Posted:

07/15/2005

Full Text

WEB DEVELOPER POSITION IN GEORGIA!!!

Great opportunity for a WEB DEVELOPER for a solid small software solutions firm in Marietta, Georgia. Requires minimum of 2 years related web development experience. Prefer four year degree in computer management or related field. Must be proficient in SQL Report Services, ASP, .net languages, Dreamweaver, Microsoft, and SQL Server. Microsoft Sharepoint Portal experience is a plus.
Package includes no relocation so local candidates preferred or those willing to relocate at own expense.

Questions you will be asked:

• Please describe any experience you have with SQL Report Services. Where? How long? Please describe your experience with Microsoft Sharepoint Portal

• Please describe your experience with ASP, .net languages, Dreamweaver, Microsoft, and SQL Server. Where? How long?

• Why are you interested in a position as a Web Developer in Marietta, GA? When are you available? Where do you currently reside? If you do not live in commutable distance are you willing to relocate at your own expense?

• Please list your education and relevant training and Microsoft Certifications and CCNA certifications.

This Job is located in Marietta, GA -> United States

Computer & Information Technology Manager

No Travel. Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or any combination of training, experience, and education. Job Description: Manage daily operations of department and establish business priorities. Create guidelines; evaluate company's technol-
ogy use and develop information technology resources. Create reliable strategies for testing and backups, and provide for data security and control. Meet and advise customers on technology solutions that meet required specifications. Candidate must be hands-on; have solid understanding of network infrastructure with respect to
internet technologies and standards. Call Roshni Kishor, 770-529-5788 or mail resume to 4494 Acworth Industrial Dr., Acworth, GA 30101

2. Either you, or a parent, or a coach, contact the places to see if they need part time help. Position yourself as next in line!

3.

Skit Idea: Ask who can’t carry a tune. Ask who can speak with a British (or other) accent. Ask who can’t. Example of frustration of cast in those roles.

People Story: Spielberg. Not great @ academics. Couldn’t act bec/ couldn’t memorize lines. But would work with sets. Love was filming.

Tell them not to be worried if school wasn’t so successful a time for you. Being successful in an academic setting takes certain skills and talents that not everyone has. Some are very successful in the business world who couldn’t handle academic settings at all. This is different.

Times were when most people farmed. You didn’t have near the choice in careers. Later, people tended to get a job in a stable company that lasted most of their lives. Today, it’s more likely that you’ll change jobs ever few years. This says a lot about how to best prepare for our vocations.

Research from "First: Break all of the rules" on how people enjoy many types of jobs. Might love sales, but not want to be promoted to be a manager or to own the company. Might want to work w/ customers @ a bank, but not be promoted to manager.

Make it more complex. You are intrigued by the Web, but aren't any good with Photo-Shop or Dream-Weaver or Front-Page. What could you do? ( You could manage the programmers, give vision to, hire them.)

Monster.com is said to be the largest and most popular job search service on the internet. But it's evolved into much more than a place to find job postings. It contains scores of articles on finding jobs, putting together a resume, etc. It's becoming a great starting point for learning how to find a job.

thoroughly. You'll find scores of great articles that students can read, plus much great advice on specific questions through the message boards.

Quote: On parents wrongly viewing high school and college as career preparation: "There's a lot of delusional thinking going on out there. ...Parents just hand their children over to the educational conveyor belt and think it is going to happen, and it doesn't. (Carol Christen, cop-author of "What color is Your Parachute? For Teens.") (From Marietta Daily Journal, Sunday, April 30, 2006, p. 10B)